Modellfabrik Papier - progress from FOMOP and FOREST

The paper industry is one of the pioneers of the circular economy. With over 3,000 different products and different product properties, it still achieves a recycling rate of over 80%. However, with an energy consumption of around 2,600 kWh per tonne of paper and a total annual production of 19 million tons in Germany, it is one of the most energy-intensive industries and a significant CO2 emitter and energy consumer [1].

To optimize energy management and track the CO2 footprint in detail at sub-process and product level, a framework for digital twins of paper production is being developed under the leadership of Modellfabrik Papier gGmbH as part of the third-party funded project (FOREST). The reference architecture created in the project is scalable and uses innovative digital twin technologies such as Asset Administration Shells (AAS) and Functional Mock-up Units (FMU) [2]. Together with detailed models of the processes, energy supply and paper quality, paper manufacturing processes can be accurately simulated and analyzed.

Chemical and/or enzymatic fiber modifications, the use of additional and novel (bio-based) process chemicals and alternative fibers are analyzed to tailor water absorption and water retention properties. Proven technologies are validated and transferred into new technologies/prototypes (SP1 - tailor-made raw materials). New types of process control in aqueous media and innovative technologies (e.g. for grinding, press and drying sections) focus on reducing the primary energy used. Here, too, laboratory test rigs and pilot machines are being set up and validated (SP2 - innovative systems in aqueous media). In (semi-)dry paper production, fleeces are formed from dry fibers using the Airlaid process and then conditioned to different moisture contents. These conditioned fleeces are bonded in a press at elevated temperatures and different pressures. The prospect of transferring this process from laboratory to industrial scale offers considerable potential for water and thus energy savings during drying. Another supporting method used in SP2, among others, is computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This allows the geometry and functionality of prototypes and pilot machines to be simulated, optimized and then designed for engineering purposes (SP3 - System Change in Fluid) [3, 4]. To accompany the development, scaling and validation of the novel methods at prototype level, energy evaluations are carried out on a laboratory and pilot plant scale. The resulting calculations are used to objectively evaluate energy, ecological and material balances. At the same time, the developed modules are combined to form a holistic process (SP4 - Systemic Integration).

References:

[1] Papierindustrie D. Papier 2023-Ein Leistungsbericht. Die Papierindustrie e. V. Bonn. 2023.
[2] Juhlin, Prerna, et al. "Open Reference Architecture for Sustainable Papermaking Based on Industrial Interoperability Standards and Cloud-Native Technologies." Proceedings of the 2024 IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA), 2024.
[3] Brydon, A. G., Pourmohammadi, A., & Russell, S. J. (2022). Drylaid web formation. In Handbook of nonwovens (pp. 89-180). Woodhead Publishing.
[4] Jin, Y., Liu, Y., & Cui, J. (2023). Numerical study on the motion characteristics of an elastic fiber migrating in a cylindrical Couette flow with centrifugal effect. Acta Mechanica Sinica, 39(3), 322423.